Discussion

Beef Panang Curry at Thai House Express

I went to Thai House Express for lunch today. Service was very friendly and fast at 1:30 PM. I ordered the beef panang curry, over rice and I was really impressed.

I don't often order this dish, in fact I rarely order beef at Thai restaurants, but I thought it was one of the best versions I've ever tried. The curry was served in a bowl that contained only broth, meat, a garnish of Thai basil, and a sliver of red pepper (maybe chili? maybe sweet? I couldn't tell from the small nibble I took). In other words, there were no vegetables. Just lots of beef.

The beef was excellent, and given the quality of the pork dish, I get the sense that stewed meat of any kind is a really good bet at Thai House Express. The meat tasted and looked like brisket, clearly stewed for a long time, thus absorbing lots of great flavors. It was very lean and very tender. The panang curry was nice - not too spicy, but definitely some kick to it. Plenty of nice lemongrass flavor, and the thai basil garnish added a nice flavor as well. Since there were no veggies to take up space, the meat portion was really large. Really a lot more meat than I needed at lunch - but it was good so I ate it all.

Total price before tip was $7.55. Awesome. I'll eat some vegetables for dinner.

Okay, this one wasn't bland but I can make better curry from a tub of red curry paste. Sorry to have to disagree with you on this one! There was a ton of beef though. I tried another interesting item this meal as well - cured pork sausage salad. I really like Thai House Express's salads and this one fell about average within the category of salads on their menu. Bamboo shoot salad remains my favorite.

Does anyone have any sense of how pre-made the sauces are there (or at Thai places in general) What steps in the curry making process occur before the order vs after the order? Is it possible that at different times of day or w/ different cooks that the curry sauce might be different? I make curry at home (using canned paste) quite a lot, and I thought what I ate at THE was much much better. Although it's likely you're a better cook :)

I suppose I should try the curry again there to compare. I'll do that sometime soon.